About Us

Mission:  Previously supported by a program-project grant from AHRQ and PCORI, MEL-STaR is a joint initiative of the University of Michigan Department of Learning Health Sciences and the Michigan Institute for Clinical & Health Research (MICHR). This program will support the didactic and experiential training of up to 40 Learning Health System (LHS) scientists, to be known as “MEL-STaR Scholars”. Faculty, physicians, and other doctorally-trained clinical providers with primary appointments at U-M Health Affiliate Institutions are eligible to be MEL-STaR Scholars. The program is based in the Department of Learning Health Sciences.  

The training experience is designed to launch careers in the growing field of Learning Health System (LHS) science. Scholars are embedded within health care settings, where they work alongside clinical, operational, research, and patient partners to identify important gaps in care and develop solutions that can make a meaningful difference for patients and populations.

Through the program, scholars learn to harness health data, generate actionable evidence, and translate new knowledge into practice. Informatics and implementation science serve as foundational disciplines, providing scholars with the tools to move from identifying a problem to understanding it, developing and evaluating solutions, and supporting their implementation in real-world settings. Throughout their experience, MEL-STaR emphasizes patient-centeredness, interdisciplinary collaboration, and learning through embedded research. Scholars emerge with the methodological expertise, practical experience, mentorship, and collaborative skills needed to become leaders in Learning Health System science.